Santa Maria Welcomes Walmart Neighborhood Market

Store brings 70 new jobs, new store format to Santa Maria

SANTA MARIA. Calif., Sept. 26, 2012 – Walmart’s newest Walmart Neighborhood Market will open Wednesday, Oct. 3, providing Santa Maria residents a convenient location to pick up all their grocery needs, including fresh produce. Located at 2240 S. Bradley Road, the store occupies a former Linens ‘n Things and is located next door to the Santa Maria Walmart.

“We are looking forward to the first of two Walmart Neighborhood Markets here in the city of Santa Maria,” said Santa Maria Mayor Larry Lavagnino. “It will not only give residents of our town access to a new shopping opportunity, but will also create new local jobs.”

New Store FeaturesThe first Walmart Neighborhood Market opened in 1998 in Bentonville, Ark. The store format is designed to provide quick and convenient shopping for groceries, pharmacy items and general merchandise.

The 32,000-square-foot Santa Maria store features a self-serve deli with pre-packaged foods, a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, as well as meats, cheeses and prepared foods. In addition to fresh produce, including California avocados, wine grapes, strawberries, oranges and corn, the store will carry a full line of groceries, including frozen foods, meat and dairy products, gluten-free and organic items. Customers can also find cakes, pastries and Mexican bollilios in the bakery. In addition to an expanded selection of general merchandise, the Santa Maria Walmart Neighborhood Market will offer baby items, small electronics, movies and items for the home.

Shoppers will also appreciate the convenience of the store’s pharmacy, along with a full selection of health-related products and a health and beauty area. Additional areas include stationery, paper goods, pet products, hardware items and a Celebration Station, where customers can buy gift wrap and gift bags, greeting cards and party supplies. The Santa Maria Walmart Neighborhood Market will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The store will offer Site-to-Store, a free service that allows customers to ship online orders from www.walmart.com free to any Walmart store for pickup.

All Walmart stores and Neighborhood Markets participate in the Pay with Cash program. This allows customers to order online at www.walmart.com and pay for the items with cash at all stores in the U.S. Walmart is the first major retailer to offer online purchases without the need for banking services or a credit, debit or prepaid card.

Community Groups Benefit from Grand-Opening GrantsAs part of the grand-opening celebration, $8,000 in grants from Walmart and the Walmart Foundation will be presented to Santa Maria Meals on Wheels, Santa Maria Rotary Foundation, Nipomo Youth Football League, Santa Maria High School and the Santa Barbara County Food Bank. Additional funds will be available throughout the year for local organizations that serve the community. Interested groups can visit foundation.walmart.com for more information

Ribbon-Cutting Celebration 7:30 a.m., Oct. 3The store will host a grand-opening celebration at 7:30 a.m., Wednesday, Oct. 3. Store manager Shelly Wallace and Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce President Robert Hatch will cut the ribbon during a brief ceremony. A soloist from The Pioneer Valley High School Choir will perform the national anthem. Doors to the new store will open to the public at 8 a.m. Special events on grand-opening day, and continuing throughout the weekend, include character appearances, product giveaways and samplings, and other events.

Opening Creates Approximately 70 JobsApproximately 70 part- and full-time jobs were created by the store’s opening. Wallace began her Walmart career in 1994 as a cashier at a store in Porterville, Calif. Sheri Hill is the pharmacy manager, who was most recently pharmacy manager at a Walmart in Lompoc.